Banana Chocolate Chia Crisps – A Dehydrated Snack

These banana chocolate chia crisps are for my dehydrating and outdoor adventure seeking friends. Especially for those who enjoy a little caffeine.

Chia seeds are the glue that holds this recipe together and are a backpackers dream. There aren’t many foods that pack in the nutrients and energy in such a small package. Chia seeds offer up healthy omega-3 fats, fibre, calcium, a little protein, anti-oxidants and other nutrients. They’re incredible swelling power is the secret behind these crispy snacks. Depending on what’s in the cupboard, I may add other seeds to these rounds – hemp hearts, flax seeds, sesame seeds are all worthy additions. Fibre is good!

Here’s a close up to show you how thin these are. When you spread them thin and leave them in the dehydrator long enough, they become truly crispy. We love ’em best when they’re crispy. Let them cool and store them in an airtight container to keep them crispy. If you ever need to re-crisp them, just pop them back in the dehydrator for a bit.

In addition to plenty of fibre, these crisps also include a shot of caffeine in the form of espresso powder. I add the caffeine when I’m making these crisps for a backcountry trip where I may not get a chance to make an afternoon cup of coffee. A few of these crisps and I’m good to go.

Recipe for Banana Chocolate Chia Crisps

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4 from 3 votes

Banana Chocolate Chia Crisps

A tasty dehydrated snack that's perfect for hitting the trail. It's light weight but offers high energy, fibre and a touch of protein and caffeine.

Prep : 15 minutes mins

Cook : 4 hours hrs

Servings: 48 crisps

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup water
• 3 very ripe bananas
• 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 2-4 Tbsp brown sugar optional
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder optional

Instructions

• In small bowl combine water and chia seeds and let rest while measuring and mixing remaining ingredients.
• Mash bananas thoroughly until smooth and all lumps are gone.
• Mix remainder of ingredients into mashed bananas.
• Combine banana mix and chia seeds which should be thick and gelatinous without any excess water.
• Use a tablespoon to form equal sized rounds on a lined dehydrator tray. Flatten mounds to even thickness, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Dehydrate at 130°F/55°C for 6 to 8 hours or until crispy. Rotate trays half way as necessary.
• Let cool completely and store in air tight container.
• They will lose their crispiness over time. To re-crisp place them back in the dehydrator for 1 hour or so.

Notes

*I tried baking these in a 350°F oven but they burned before they turned crispy. Perhaps a lower oven setting over longer time might work. Let me know if you are successful using an oven.

If you don't have espresso powder but want the caffeine, consider substituting part of the water with strong brewed coffee.

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Spread them thin and dehydrate them for a long time and they will be super crispy. It’s hard to show, but trust me.

So there you have it, my super delicious dehydrated caffeinated seedy banana chocolate snack. They may not look pretty, but they’re tasty and that’s all that matters.

Fire up your dehydrator and make these. Then take a hike and send me a photo of where you take your chocolate crisps.  I’m on instagram @getgettys and Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.

Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.